San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-08-13

seemed III paradise, holding the perfect,
supple form; then he rea lied the dreadful
truth!
lie held his flask, still full of wine, to her
lips to revive her and then dragged her
away
"Rrmember your reputation" he whis.
pcred, trembling with emotion at being ~
close 10 her; return directly and do not be
tray yourself Trust me always"
"What will my father and-thc comte say"
she gaSped piteously.
He scanned her face anXiously and earn
estly, as II he was trying to read the truth
"What has the comte TO do with iti' he
asked
ale asked my hand Of my father last
night, and he was accepted" she faltered
The young lieutenant WINGED as he had
never done before, not even lying on the bat
tlefied frightfully wounded. He, too,
adored this splendid creature, and she had led
him to suppose she was not Indifferent 10
him. But no reproach escaped his lips. He
was young, just %, had already name in
the army, and was handsome and well born;
but he only looked at her sadly. thinking:
How could |, poor officer, hope to merit
such perfectiOn"
"You are cross, You will betray me-" she
said, trembling all over; "and my letter will
he found!'
"Betray you! Neverl l swear it on my
Dffcers honor" he exclaimed, passionately.
"As for the letter, you shall have it, prom.
iSe you"
Then she fled, and he returned TO the man
left on the downs
He was quite dead.
81 I'll -. Al 4
partment envied Valentine Dubois luck at
the rich marriage she was going To
make and it was the news Of the day.
The old colonel had wished her to marry an
officer, and had saved up the dot that the gov.
ernmert required for an officers wife, hoping
secretly in his heart that it would be for his
favorite Raoul-but who could resist a
comtei
The trousseau, engagement ring, daily bou.
quet, offered regularly, were discussed by
every one, when suddenly more startling
news changed the current of gossip.
NJ Colin, an invalid lodger ut the Casino,
had been found with his brains blown out,
lying on the downs, and an old fisherman
passing by bad discovered Raoul bent over
him trying to restore him. The young mans
gun was subsequently found close by. 1t was
well known that the two men were not
friends-Raoul had secretly resented M.
Collins assiduities to Valentine-and, though
the reason was ignored, they had been heard
exchanging high words the night before.
A woman's scream had resounded tiny
perfumed glove found, and a female form
had been seen hurrying away; but in the
gloom the graceful Valentine had not been
recognized.
The old fisherman explained that Raoul
had told him to seek a surgeon Immediately,
and that he seemed in q state of great agita-
ton; but the pere Benoit gave his evidence
most reluctantly, for the young lieutenant
was greatly esteemed by all. Many time
when off duty he had sat up with dying men,
while the relative watching them had thus OBJ
tanned rest; and he had one stormy night res
cued little sailor boy from a wreck, expos
ing his own life. But all this could not save
him, for how many men renowned for valor-
Gus deeds had wrecked their lives in a mo-
ment of passiOnl
His own account was most confused, for he
did not know how to tell lie, and with a
white face and clenched teeth he related all
he could: but how could he clear himself
without eliminating his lovel And he was
sent between two gendarmes to the large
aSsize town of D. to await his trial
AuNefLlSetlleilUS were inserted ana de-
tectives employed to find the woman, but,
though the glove was traced to a shop
in one of the adjacent towns, it was
impossible to obtain any clew. The
glover owned that it was an extraordinary
small size, and remembered that the buyer
had been remarkably handsome; but failed to
recognize her in any Of the women he was
shown, declaring there was not one half as
lovely.
The old colonels voice trembled when he
spoke of his favorite's disgrace. Valentine
told he self constantly that it was impossible
an innocent man could be found guilty. She
knew one word of hers would release him, but
why disgrace herself when he could not be
punished!
A few hours after the prisoners arrest a
sealed packet had been thrust into her hand
asshe returned from salut, and she had recog
nized RaOul'S military Srrvant-a soldier who
would have killed himself to save his MASTER
hurrying away in the dusk. Carefully in
closed was the terrible letter, stained with
blood and n few lines in Raoul's writing on a
slip of paper: ado not fear, trust me. l will
never betroy your
1t was the end Of the summer, the fisher
men had returned from Iceland and there
was general jubilee in the adjacent fishing
hamlet of F.. The thanksgiving salut was
said in the open air by the little chapel near
the sea, and when the count was seen there by
the side of the "angel in blue" everybody de
clared he must indeed be enamOred, for it was
well known he was very lax in his religious
views, and that he neither went 10 mass on a
Sunday nor confessed even at Easter.
After the ceremony the comte returned
with his betrothed, and Nine Froment, who
was there to chaperon them and whose pride
in her sisters splendid prospects was so in
tense that she strutted like peacock, plan
ming in her mind all the glory of the noce,
and of the triumph of her half dozen chill
dren's toilets
The dreSsmaker came that evening to try
on the wedding dress, and when the cornte was
called in to see the enchanting sight-the
lovely girl in the full pride Of her beatty and
her II years-he uttered an exclamation Of
rapture.
Beautiful angel" he cried, and would have
taken her in his arms; and then, remember
ing etiquette, restrained himself and con-
tented his passion by kissing her hands pas
sionately
Valentine shuddered. 1t reminded her that
one day she had allowed Raoul to touch her
fingers with his lips, and the cares had
seemed very much sweeter than the comics,
and she thought of the young lieutenant in
acknowledgement, miserable
"But he must be acquitted" she argued,